Friday

Mar 15, 2019 at 6:09 PMMar 15, 2019 at 6:09 PM

PAXTON — In the spring of 1996, Joe Brady was a senior at Anna Maria College, where he played four years of soccer and was student manager for the men’s basketball team, and thinking about what he wanted to do after graduation.

Anna Maria’s women’s soccer coach had recently resigned and Brady, with a little bit of experience as his younger brother’s coach in Millbury Youth Soccer, told former AMC director of athletics Steve Washkevich he was interested in the position.

“I walked into Steve’s office,” Brady recalled Friday, “and I said, ‘I’d like to coach.’ He said, “Let me think about it.’ Then he said, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a shot.’ ”

In his second season, while also serving as Anna Maria’s sports information director, the AmCats won a conference championship, and Brady’s career in athletics was underway.

For the last 18 years, Brady has been an indispensable member of Clark’s department of athletics, as women’s soccer coach from 2001-13, sports information director, assistant athletic director and, since 2014, associate athletic director.

On Friday, Anna Maria announced that Brady has been hired as its new director of athletics. Brady, 45, will succeed Serge DeBari, who has held the position for the last three years.

“It’s bittersweet to be somewhere for 18 years and then think about leaving,” Brady said. “It’s definitely bittersweet, but I think the opportunity to return ‘home’ and to where everything started, is really exciting. The momentum at Anna Maria is clear, and that’s attributed to the president (Mary Lou Retelle) and Serge. I’m excited.”

Brady assumes his new position July 1.

DeBari, the former Assumption men’s basketball coach who also served as an associate athletic director at Assumption and Babson as well as Assumption’s director of admissions, came out of retirement to become Anna Maria’s interim director of athletics in September 2016.

DeBari, a 1971 Assumption graduate, oversaw the growth of the athletic program, which has included the addition of several sports, including men’s and women’s ice hockey and equestrian this year, and the hiring of numerous coaches, including football coach Dan Mulrooney.

“My particular skill set was to come in and try to build the program from the standpoint of hiring coaches who I thought could further the school from a competitive standpoint, but also in enrollment management,” said DeBari, who soon had the “interim” dropped from his title. “It became my specific charge to build programs up.

“I didn’t come with the anticipation three years ago that I would be here for three years. I had a particular job to do, and it was fun. It was challenging.”

DeBari will retire in June.

Brady said he is looking forward to overseeing sports like football and ice hockey, which Clark does not have, and furthering the athletic program’s growth. Anna Maria’s 17 varsity sports compete in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference.

Brady won 156 games in his 18-year coaching career (five at AMC, 13 at Clark). Anna Maria hired Brady as a part-time coach in 1996. In 1997, he was elevated to full time while taking on the sports information duties.

“In the sports information world, you learn a lot because you’re involved in so many things,” Brady said. “I continued that at Clark, and it led to a bunch of different roles, including (associate AD) and that led me to this next step.”

In his role as associate athletic director at Clark, Brady oversaw the department’s alumni endeavors, contest scheduling, intramurals, sports information, event operations, facility rentals and served as the direct report for men’s and women's soccer, men’s and women's lacrosse and baseball.

For the last decade, Brady was director of the Clark Tournament, the annual high school boys' basketball tournament hosted by Clark, and established a comprehensive history and website for the tourney, which this year marked its 80th anniversary.

“For 18 years, Joe has been the heartbeat of Clark athletics,” Clark director of athletics and recreation Trish Cronin said. “During his time at Clark, he has been a mentor to student-athletes, a leader in the department, and a friend to his colleagues. Joe’s dedication and passion for athletics has gone unmatched.”

Brady, who grew up in Millbury and graduated from St. John’s High, lives in Worcester with his wife Melissa and their children, Keira and John.

Cronin mentioned Brady’s passion. That stood out to DeBari, too.

“Joe is a great administrator and vital part of the Worcester scene,” DeBari said. “One thing I value when doing a job search is the person’s passion for the institution they’re going to. You get a person with a passion for his own school, who is very qualified, and it’s easy. It’s a perfect match.”

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @tgsports.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.